Rotary valve for internal-combustion engines



C. L; SCHWANKE. ROTA'RY VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FIILED FEB. 3,1919- v 1,34 36, Patented July 13,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

c. L. SCHWA NKE.

ROTARY VALVE FOB INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.3,1919.

V 1,346,686, Patented July 13, 1920.

, ZSHEFTS-S EET 2.

PATENT OFF-ICE.

CONRAID L. SCHWANKE, 0F CORNELIUS, OREGON. v

ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of ietters Patent. Patented ly- Application filed February a, 1919. Serial No. 274,650.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CONRAD L. SoHwANKn, a citizen of the United States, ,residing at Cornelius, in the county of Washington and State of Oregon, have'invented certain" new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention comprehends generally improvements in that class of inventions known as internal combustion engines and more particularly relates to an improved rotary valve therefor.

The invention has for its primary aim and object to provide a device of the above mentioned character designed to be mounted for rotation about the closed'upper end of an engine cylinder and provided with a passage way for coacting with the inlet and exhaust ports in the cylinder and the intake and exhaust pipes of theengine for controlling the admission and exhaustion of gases to and from the cylinder..

As an equally important vention contemplates-the provision of a device of the above mentioned character where- 'in the valve is of improved construction and is designed with double seating portions for coactlng with the corresponding seating portions on the cylinder so that the wearing of the valve will not interfere with its era ciency in operation but on the other hand" will tend to increase the effectiveness of the shaft and with the valve for rotating the valve in timed relation with the operation of the piston, that is, to cause a complete single revolution of the valve during two complete revolutions-of the engine shaft.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a device of the above mentioned character wherein improved means 'is employed for lubricating the valve as it rotates on the seat; and to provideimproved resilient means for'yieldingly holding the valve on its seat. Among'the'other aims and objects of this" invention may berecited the provision of a device of the above mentioned character wherein the number of parts are comparaon line 3 -3 of Fig. 1', and

object this in-,

tively few, the construction'simple,the cost of production low andithe efficiency high.

Other objects, as well as the nature, oharacteristic features and scope of this invention will be more readily apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim, forming a part of this specification.

The invention is clearly accompanying drawings, wherein Figurel is an enlargedv fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the valve in position, Y

Fig. 2 is a v on line 22 of Fig. 1, I r

V Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken Fig. 4 is a plan detail bottom of the valve. Similar characters of reference .are employed in all of the above described views, to indicate correspondingparts. V

looking toward the Referring now, more particularly, to the illustrated in th accompanying drawings, there is provided Y a jacketed cylinder 1 about the upper por-' tion of which is formed an annular jacketed chamber 2, the jacket of which communicates with the jacket of the cylinder as at 3,

the bottom of. the chamber being-rounded to provide a seating portion 4: for-the valve whilesthe opposed upper edges ofthejacketed cylinder and the jacketed chamber are formed with annular shoulders 5 which are slightly inclined and constitute the upper seating portion for the valve. The jacketed cylinder'and chamber is provided with registering inlet 6 and with registering outlet ports 7, the inlet and outlet ports 6 and 7 respectively communicating with the intake and exhaust pipes 8 and 9 of the engine.

Mounted in the top of the jacketed cylinder is a vertically disposed hollow stem 10 while rotatably mounted about the stemand operating in the chamber 2 for controlling the admission and exhaustion'of gases to and from the cylinder 1 isthe improved.

valve designated in its entirety by the nu meral 11. Inthe present instance the'valve may be said tobe in the form of a cap and consists of a hub 12 rotatably disposed about the stem while projecting from the hub are spokes or arms '13 which'are joined with 55 and seatings'portion coacting with the a rim' portion 14;, the hub, spokes and rim being relatively flat. Integral with the under surface of the rim medially of the inner and outer edges thereof and depending therefrom is a sleeve body 15 having a port hole 15, the body being disposed in the chamber 2 for rotary movement, the

lower edge being rounded as at 16 to coact with the rounded bottom or seating portion 1 in the chamber while the upper portion of the sleeve body 15 is formed on its opposite sides at its point of juncture with the rim with annular ribbed or seating portions 17 which seat upon the seating portions 5 of r the chamber. In this connection it is to be understood that the chamber 2 and the sleeve body 15 are so proportioned that the 'lower rounded edge 16 seats against the seated portion 4: at the time the annular or seating portions 17 seat on the upper seating portions or shoulders 5 of the chamber so that even though wear occursduring the rotation of the valve it, will be even and the attachment would tend to increase the effectiveness of the valve when in operation. In other words, this valve is provided with double seating portions making it leakproof v while in addition, owing to the peculiar mounting thereof is self-grinding during operation. The outer edge of the rim portion 14 of the valve is formed with a plurality of gear or cog teeth 18 for a purpose which will presentlyappear.

In order to yieldingly hold the valve in a proper position without interfering with the rotation thereof, the hub portion is formed with a boss 19 which is provided in turn with an annular ball race 20 forreceiving ball bearings 21 while arranged about the stem is a washer 22' the under surface of which is provided with a ball race 23 facilitating the.

retention of the ball bearings. Suitable resilient means such as a relatively light coiled chamber 2'in providing an oil reservoir while arranged within the hollow stem are oil conducting pipes 28, said pipes being led from thestem across certain of the spokes as at 29 and have their terminal outlet ends 30 arranged over the inner rib 27 as indicated so as to direct oil down the innermost shoulders and seating portions 5. i For the purpose of operating or rotatmg readily apparent.

the valve in timed relation with the operation of the piston head 31 in the cylinder 1 a horizontally disposed and rotatably mounted shaft 32 is employed and is designed to be operably connected to a suitable mechanism (not shown) with the engine shaft (not shown) so that rotary motion will be imparted thereto. In addition, this shaftis fitted with a worm gear 33 which meshes with the teeth 18 on the valve so that rotary motion will be imparted to the valve. It is desired that the valve make one complete revolution during two complete revolutions of the engine shaft (not shown). as is customary in motors of the four-cycle type so that as a result the port hole 15 in the sleeve portion of the valve will be properly registered with the registering inlet 6 and intake pipe 8 and with the outlet 7 and the exhaust pipe 9 which registers with the outlet 7 in controlling the admission and exhaustion of gases to and from the cylinder.

It is preferred that a flanged cover 34 be fitted about the stem and engaged with the jacketed chamber so as to protect the valve.

The jacketed cylinder of course may be fitted with a spark plug 35 while also arranged in the jacket of the cylinder 1 near the top thereof is a pipe 36 the purpose of which is to insureof the circulation vof'the water and when the occasion requires to permit the hot water at the top of the cylinder to be drawn off.

It is believed. in view of the foregoing description that a further detailed description of the operation 'of the invention is entirely unnecessary. Likewise, it is believed that the advantages of the invention will be In this connection it should be noted that only a light coiled spring is necessary to hold the valve seated since the force created by-the explosion is directed against the sides of the valve or rather those portions of the sides of the valve Which close the inlet and outlet ports of the cylinder. r I

Still further embodiments of the invention than those herein especially defined may be resorted to as conditions or preference may dictate, as maybe in keeping with the hereto appended claim. 7 r

Have thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

Inan engine, a cylinder formed with a closed top, a water jacket entirely about the sides and top of said cylinder, the cylinder being formed with intake and exhaust passages extending through said jacket con tiguous to the top of the cylinder, an annular valve casing formed in the jacket con centrically of the cylinder, spaced from the walls of the latter and said'jacket, intersected by the passages, and opening through the upper end of the jacket, an annular valve rotatably seated in the Valve casing for con- Water acket and having the valve revolubly trolling the passages and removable thereconnected therewith and means carried by 10 from a gear toothed peripheral edge formed the stem and oo-aeting With the connection on said valve, a cover fitted over the upper for regulating the seating engagement ofthe open end of the valve casing a driven Worm valve in the valve casing.

gear j ournaled in said cover and meshing In testimony whereof I affix my signature with the gear toothed peripheral edge of the hereto. valve, a pivot stem fixed centrally of the CONRAD L. SCHWANKE; 

